The present disclosure relates generally to computer software, and more particularly, to context based help in a WorldWideWeb environment.
One of the more significant developments in the computing industry in the last few years has been the emergence of the WorldWideWeb. With the Web, a computer operator, equipped with an appropriately connected computer and a software package called a browser, can explore vast amounts of information stored on computers around the world. Navigating the Web is relatively simple, typically requiring only clicking a computer mouse to move between Web documents, even when the documents are located at separate locations.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a language used to provide information on the Web. HTML provides a rich lexicon and syntax for designing and creating useful hypertext and hypermedia documents. With HTML, Web page designers can describe the format and content of a Web document, which may include, for example, text files, graphics files, and multimedia files. When accessed by a client computer (i.e., the computer local to the browser), the HTML file is transmitted to the client computer over a network such as the Internet and interpreted by the browser.
As Web pages become increasingly more complex, Web page designers often find it necessary to make some form of instructional, or "help," information optionally available to the user. For example, a user attempting to enter information into a Web page organized as an order form may wish to know more about a certain field of the form. Typically, help information for a Web page requires loading a new HTML page into the browser, and when the user is done reading the help information, loading the original HTML page back into the browser. This interrupts the display and is generally inconvenient.
Other conventional, non-Web-based software help facilities provide access to help documentation to users in a number of ways, including: (1) providing help based on the location where the user was when help was requested, (2) providing a table of contents, and (3) using some type of search tool. These methods, at best, provide an initial help document for the user. Often times, however, the user finds it difficult to find help information as the user continues to use the program.
Thus, there is a need for a Web-based help system that overcomes the limitations of conventional help facilities and does not interrupt the Web page being displayed.